For the average person, the saying "hard work pays off" could be considered cliché. However, for Redbird track & field senior Lindsey Lewis, this phrase yields deeper meaning.
An integral member of Illinois State's cross country and track & field program, nothing was ever a given for Lewis, who has worked for every bit of her success. Lewis came to ISU knowing that she initially would be a walk-on. While she was thankful for the opportunity to continue her running career, Lewis had her eyes set on earning an athletic scholarship.
"Becoming a scholarship athlete was definitely one of my aspirations," Lewis said. "It is such an accomplishment, and it was something I was constantly striving for."
When making her final decision on where to attend college, Lewis felt assured that Illinois State Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Jeff Bovee would help her achieve this goal.
"I talked to other Division I schools where I would be a walk-on as well, but I just felt more wanted by Coach Bovee as a walk-on athlete," Lewis said. "I felt confident that he would help me reach my fullest potential."
As most freshman do, Lewis struggled to adjust to the long and intense workouts in her first year as a Redbird. Whereas many athletes are tempted to give up, ultimately settling for mediocrity, Lewis had other plans in mind.
A life-long competitor, Lewis relied on her strong work ethic to push through this adversity. Ever since she started playing sports when her parents signed her up for soccer at the age of three, Lewis was always one of the hardest workers on the field. Although her sport of choice transitioned from soccer to running by the time she hit high school, her determination to better herself never faltered.
"I have always believed that hard work eventually pays off, so I try to do everything in my power to achieve my desired results," Lewis said. "I am never satisfied with myself because I know I can always do better."
While Lewis thinks that a large part of her work ethic came naturally, she admits that her father had a significant influence as well.
"My dad is constantly motivating me to do better," Lewis said. "He has helped me greatly, and I see a lot of similar qualities between the two of us."
Regardless of how Lewis acquired her work ethic, there is no question that it has fueled her success.
After two years of keeping her nose to the grindstone, Lewis' hard work started to pay off during her sophomore year as the outdoor track season began. In her first 3,000-meter steeplechase race of the season at the EIU Big Blue Classic, Lewis captured a massive personal-record, beating her previous personal-best by over a minute. In that moment, she realized that she had reached a turning point.
"My sophomore year, I had a huge personal-record in steeplechase to open the outdoor season," Lewis recalls. "At that point, I was hopeful that I would be able to compete in the steeplechase at conference."
Competing at a conference championship is a monumental accomplishment for any student-athlete. But for Lewis, it meant so much more. Traditionally, athletes that compete at a conference meet and score points by placing in the top-eight of their respective event become scholarship athletes. As the 2016 outdoor track & field season progressed, Lewis was inching closer to her goals.
"Once the conference meet approached, I was ranked in the top-eight, and I recognized that scoring at MVCs was a distinct possibility," Lewis said.
With all of her aspirations within reach, Lewis went into what was perhaps the biggest race of her collegiate track & field career having never competed on a championship stage before. Racing in her first conference meet of her career, Lewis seized the moment, placing seventh overall in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to score points for her team at the 2016 MVC Championships.
As she reflected on her sophomore track season, Lewis checked multiple goals off of her list, including competing at a conference meet and scoring points at championships. Not long after this, Lewis accomplished her final aspiration as well.
"I remember a couple weeks after MVCs Coach Bovee called me and told me that I had earned a scholarship," Lewis said. "That was just such a cool moment for me."
From this point forward, Lewis has remained determined and dedicated, constantly setting the bar higher. Since becoming a scholarship athlete, Lewis has competed in the 2016 and 2017 MVC Cross Country Championships, as well as the 2017 NCAA Midwest Cross Country Regional.
On the track, Lewis has made her mark in the Illinois State record books, as her 3,000-meter steeplechase time of 10:58.51 currently ranks 10th on the ISU Top-10 list. She also competed at the 2017 MVC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, placing sixth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to score points for the Redbirds for the second-consecutive year. However, Lewis will never be content.
"I'm happy about placing in conference, but I'm just not satisfied," Lewis said. "I was glad to break the eleven minute barrier in steeple last year, but then again, I want to run faster than that."
This attitude is what makes Lewis the ultimate competitor, and as a result, the possibilities for her moving forward are limitless. This year, in her final season in a Redbird uniform, Lewis hopes to qualify for the NCAA Division I West Preliminary Round in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Her work ethic, paired with Bovee's guidance, makes this ambition attainable.
"From the start, Coach Bovee always believed in me," Lewis said. "Sometimes he has expected more out of me, and that's what pushed me to the level I am at today."
Even though this is Lewis' final year of track & field, she aspires to remain involved with the sport after graduation. A physical education major, Lewis looks forward to teaching and coaching in the future.
"Right now, I'm leaning toward teaching elementary physical education," Lewis said. "Regardless, I definitely want to coach high school cross country and track."
Lewis is living proof that through hard work, anything is possible.
"I did not know when becoming a scholarship would occur, but I knew that with my drive and determination that it could happen," Lewis said. "Doing the little things truly pays off."
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